Pubdate: Wed, 02 May 2012
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2012 The New York Times Company
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298

CAFES PROTEST MARIJUANA SALES POLICY

A policy barring foreign tourists from buying marijuana took effect in
three southern provinces on Tuesday, with attention focused on the
city of Maastricht, which borders Belgium and is near Germany, where
more than a million foreigners a year go to buy marijuana. Marijuana
is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but the sale of small
quantities is tolerated. Under the new policy, coffee shops that sell
marijuana are allowed to sell it to only 2,000 registered customers
each, who must be legal residents. Most shops in Maastricht closed on
Tuesday rather than comply with the plan. One cafe opened just long
enough to provoke two legal conflicts in hopes of derailing the
policy. The cafe turned away a group of foreigners, who then filed a
discrimination complaint with the police. Then it started selling
anyone without checking for passes. The policy is not scheduled to
take effect in Amsterdam, home to about a third of the country's
marijuana coffee shops, until next year.
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MAP posted-by: Matt